Just outside the city of Okazaki, itself outside the larger city of Nagoya, lies Shinpukuji Temple, a complex first built in the 6th century and home to an impressive bonsai museum. The museum was started by Mr. Oomura, a prominent bonsai collector and enthusiast. Here are some highlights from the trees on display last fall […]
Japan
A visit to Daiju-en bonsai garden
I’ve always enjoyed photos from other people’s visits to great bonsai gardens. Sometimes I recognize the trees and can see how they’ve changed over the years. Other times I’m seeing them for the first time. Seeing trees in gardens is different than seeing them in exhibits. The trees are in growing pots, we can see […]
A bonsai garden in the rain
I’d like to return, for a bit, to Boon Manakitivipart’s visit to Japan this past fall. Among his photos were a handful from a familiar garden, that of Mr. Okamoto in Central Japan. Okamoto is among the top bonsai professionals in the area. Over the years he has produced and worked on many famous trees […]
Hinoki forests and more at the 34th Taikan-ten
I don’t often see hinoki cypress bonsai forests, and I wouldn’t expect to see multiple hinoki bonsai forests in the same exhibit. The recent Taikan-ten exhibition in Kyoto, Japan, featured four of them. Tsuyama hinoki cypress (Photos by Boon Manakitivipart) I enjoy hinoki bonsai because they are often styled into abstract shapes with silhouettes that resemble […]
Follow the line of the trunk
The trunk reveals the heart and soul of bonsai. It can anyway. A compelling trunk tells a tree’s life story. It’s the oldest part of the tree and it bears the marks of age. And when the environment in which the tree matures is harsh, amazing things can happen. Shimpaku Ignoring foliage, pots, stands and displays for […]